Stupid Glitch
by D i v i n e.D e s t r o y e r
Summary: It reminded him of the first time they'd met; he couldn't stop himself from scowling at the mech. "You are a glitch." — Spoilers for DotM — Jolt, Ratchet, Starscream.


**Warning|** Along with spoilers from DotM, this story may also contain ooc characters from the movie. This is also unbeta'ed.

**Note|** I love Jolt, which is saying something because I wasn't that big of a 'Revenge of the Fallen' fan. I was upset when I didn't see him DotM, so this came to me because everyone isn't writing something like this. I also know that the title makes no sense.

* * *

><p><em>Jolt; Ratchet; Starscream<em>

* * *

><p>The city was gone but he still walked, because there was nothing else he could honestly do. He moved through the ruined streets, his scanners searching for any injured beings (humans and his own specie alike). He'd done this action countless times before, always alone so he would have a chance to mourn the losses, but this time was different. A little blue soldier turned medic-in-training trailed at his side, the blue glow of his whips ready for either offlining stray Decepticons or attempting to heal injured Autobots.<p>

Neither said a word as they traveled, stepping over and around the corpses that lined the roadways and sidewalks. It disturbed him and he was mildly concerned about his partner, however, one look let him know that the young azure mech didn't seem to mind the carnage. He wasn't sure what tugged at his old spark more; the scene or the fact that such a young Autobot was unbothered by it. Back in the first days of this war, he'd seen older bots then this one have breakdowns and spasms (as the humans say) over less then this.

However, here was this youngling, walking beside him as if they were going for an evening stroll through a park. Even still, the older bot didn't ask any questions, he knew he would get not answer. His assistant was not much of a talker; he just calmly stared at everyone and did as he was ordered with no complaint. He remembered, as they turned down another street, when it had unnerved him to see the mech standing over a bot that had died on the table, staring with empty, glowing sapphire optics. Now he was used to this youngster, though he can't lie, sometimes he does still unnerve him. Like now, walking and staring without so much as a scowl or frown at the dead. What had this war done?

He didn't get to dwell on it for long, a life signal chimed through his scanners. Before he could even speak, his partner was dashing from his side and down the long street, in the direction of the signal. The medic took off after the youngling, worried about what could possibly lie out there, alive and within this battlefield. His processor racing as he dodged corpses of humans and his brothers, he scanned the area to search for his assistant.

When the medic found him, he was standing next to a building and staring up at the remains of a Decepticon, Starscream to be exact. Neither moved as the superior scanned the broken beyond repair seeker, he frowned as he realized the life signal was not from an Autobot but this dying jet. His head had been blown right off his shoulders, but his spark still pulsed feverously while his systems tried to repair the damage. The hummer was one the fence about what to do; his duty as a medic was to repair any and all injured robots, but his Autobot duty was to kill all Decepticons.

"We should remove its spark," the blue bot spoke in a monotone voice. Although startled that his assistant had spoke, he still listened when the younger continued, "It is suffering and the others would not approve taking it back. It is only logical to offline it."

The medic cringed at thought, it wasn't in his core programming, "impossible. We are medics now, Jolt, we will follow the codes that are-"

"There is too much damage. Its head is gone, there is an arm over there, and who knows what type of other internal damage it has. We will offline it," Jolt replied while summoning forth those dangerous whips he used as weapons. They crackled to life and glowed an eerie blue; he lifted his arms and steadied himself for the final blow. However he was stopped when the medic was noticed on the roof next to the dying Decepticon, and he was left frowning. "What are you doing, First Officer Ratchet?"

Ratchet didn't answer right away as he popped open the Decepticon's chest, eying the inner workings of the seeker for any damage that couldn't be viewed. His scanners zapped back to life, searching for injures and what not. "I am doing what we are supposed to do, Jolt," the medic growled when he found many split and fried wires. "Don't you think we've lost enough?"

"We are Autobots, we are to kill Decepticons on sight."

"Not today, the war is over," Ratchet reminded him while activating one of his many tools, beginning to work on systems that were keeping the erratic spark alive and well. "I am just a medic."

Jolt stepped forward and spoke before his processor could deny him the ability, "You want to save him because you couldn't save Ironhide."

Ratchet froze and lifted his head to glare at the youngling, pain tangling within his spark. He couldn't believe that sapphire mech and his choice of wording, it burnt into his processor and lingered there. Was that why he'd wanted to save this pathetic seeker? Because he couldn't save one of his oldest friends and this was the most he could do? However, when his optics set on the younger being, he was surprised to see the blue glow of his whips. Despite all that he wanted to shout at the young medic-in-training, he found himself asking, "What are you doing?"

"I can reattach a stand-in head for his form, until you can repair his old one," Jolt answered as one of his weapons turned tools snaked around a corpse. The cadaver's head was forcefully ripped from the body; the other whip scooted up the side of the building and began transferring the spare part to the seeker. His optics dimmed as he tried to stay study, Ratchet shuddering and looking away from the energy draining technique.

He tried to focus on his own repairs, the wiring needed was in direr need of being replaced but he could mend a few now. He could hear the repairs his partner was doing, the wheezed intakes as his energy began to drain… just like in Egypt. His foolish pride was because of that as well; he'd ordered the youngling to waste energy he obviously didn't have much of to repair their leader. Just like now (because no matter what was said, Ratchet knew that he wouldn't be playing Primus if the medic himself hadn't said anything), it was his fault.

"Jolt," he murmured and turned his head, surprised to see the youngling swaying upon the rooftop. Dimmed optics turned to him; Ratchet could swear he saw a meek smile on those ever-blank faceplates. It reminded him of the first time they'd met; he couldn't stop himself from scowling at the mech. "You are a glitch."

"You're welcome," he muttered before lowering his head.

When the youngling's optics offlined, Ratchet was reassured (after a quick scan, of course) that his assistant had slipped into stasis or recharge until his energy levels would be brought back up. Heaving a frustrated sigh, the medic went back to work on makeshift repairs to the seeker. A few earth hours later, there had been a ping from his leader that broke him from his stare into the workings of the jet.

_"Ratchet, report."_

_"One life force; Decepticon seeker, Starscream,"_ Ratchet replied through the silent line between commander and medic. _"Transport needed for both wounded Second in Command and exhausted Medical Assistant."_

There was silence for a moment and Ratchet thought that his superior would deny the seeker, but what happened next surprised even him. _"Affirmative. Transport arriving soon,"_ the Prime replied and the two were silent. Ratchet did not go back to work, there wasn't much he could do without assistance and his medical hanger. His scanners picked up an approaching aircraft, and then he turned them to his youngling of an assistant. He wanted to frown, be angry or upset that the sapphire mech had exhausted himself, but he couldn't.

He reached a servo over and clasped it around a blue armored shoulder. He gave him a gentle shake, something that he'd seen the warriors do to show that their younger warriors had done well. He didn't know why he did it, because it had been Jolt that declared their patient dead and had been rather nonchalant about death in general, but he couldn't stop himself. "Fragging Glitch," he muttered when he swore he saw Jolt smirking.

* * *

><p><em>The End.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Note #2|<strong> Alright, I know its sounds stupid that Starscream would be alive, I'm the Queen of Wishful Thinking. From the short glimpse of his 'dead' form, I noticed that there was no damage to his actual body, just that big stupid head of his. This got me thinking that maybe, even without a head, his spark can still be active and keeping him alive. It's weird, it's my mind, and I'm sorry. Reviews would be nice but keep them helpful and not rude. Thank you.


End file.
